The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-08-03
CHINATOWN.
A STREET IN NEW YORK WHERE
CHINAMEN ARE THICK.
How the o, 900 Mongolians in the Me-
tropolis Live and What They DO
Fifty Chinese Citizens-Dis-
reputable Cinnamon.

men in New York. The Chinatown of
the present was very insignificant
colony, and queue seen on the streets
created sensation, at least among the
ranks of the small boys downtown. Now
there are fully 5000 Cclestials IN this
city. They are doing well in various
lines of business, and there are large
number of them who have bank accounts
running into thousands and tens of thou
sands of dollars. In fact there are at
least two Chinese merchants in Mott
street who each own considerably over
500, 600 in property and money. 1t was
not until 1875 that the Chinese took
possession of Mott street. At that time
the six companies of San Francisco.
which practically controlled the Chinese
population of that city, established an
agency in this once fashionable street. AS
new arrivals from the Flowery Kingdom
appeared on the scene they settled down
in this spot, and Chinatown waXcd and
grew strong, until it became what 1t now
is, a veritable city within city, having
its own municipal government, and in
most matters making laws suiting itself,
and growing in strength oblivious of the
political and social amenities of the great
CITY around it. The Chinese evidently
believe in close corporations. He does
not froth at the mouth when the word
monopoly is uttered in his presence. On
the contrary he seems to like 1t. There
are six men in Chinatown who practl-
cally run its machinery business, politi-
cal and social. They arc in this respect
not dissimilar to the famous six COM
panics of California, although they claim
to be independent of them.
The Chinaman naturally drifts into the
laundry business. Two-thirds Of the
Mongolians in this city are engaged in
it. The thirty headquarters of the thirty
different clans, as they are known, supply
the information that there are just about
1000 laundries in this city managed by
Cinnamon. The average number of
workmen in each is three, giving total
of 5000 Cinnamon who are engaged in
the commendable industry of keeping
New York supplied with clean linen.
Most of these laundries are owned by in
dividuals, although the big Mott street
companies own a good many. kwong
Hing Lung made good many Of his
S125, 900 by speculating in laundrics, or
in other words, in establishing them at
various parts of the city, and either rent
ing them or selling them under mort
cages. He is said to hold mortgages on
or to be principal owner in about 200 at
the present time There is double
profit in this line of business, for the 600
Iaundrymen whom he thus practically
cantrols must all deal in his grocery
store. Thus does kwong prosper and
grow fat. Wo Kee, who is the oldest
and weathiest of the Mott street mer-
chants, besides his large grocery business,
is big exporter of American goods to
China. He makes particularly large
shipments in petroleum.
The Chinese in New York have not
made any large success as domestics as
they did in the West. There are few
hundred of them employed in factories.
About 400 of them are cigarmakers;
about as many more are engaged in the
smaller groceries in and about Chinatown,
of which there arc nearly one hundred.
There are upwards of hundred tobacco
stores and about dozen drug stores that
are supported by the Mongolian popula-
tiol, and more than that number of dis
tinctively Chinese restaurants, and an
unknown number of places where the
homesick Celestial can dream of the
delights of the Flowery Kingdom and Of
the soft carcesses of obliquc-eyed houris
while under the influence of the seductive
poppy. Besides, Chinatown has float
ing population of about 600, made up of
gamblers, criminals and men of leisure.
It is due to the colony to say, however,
that it is not partial to idlers.
The Chinese population of the city is
divided into what are known as clans.
There are thirty in all. Each has head
quarters where meetings are held, for
social and political purposes. The social
part of it consists mainly in playing fan
tan and poker.
Chinatown has q fashion of minding
its own business. and of settling its own
affairs, that is worthy of emulation.
Every year it elects a new ruler for its
municipality. Popular suffrage is not
known here. The big companies before
referred to select the man, and their
choice is never objected to. At present
Mr.. Woo, of Park Row, basks in the
sunshine of the favor of Wo kee and his
confreres, and is the nominal head of
Chinatown, and the village is said to be
pretty we'll governed. A majority of the
disputes that naturally arise are settled
out of the courts. Law and order is
maintained, there is said to be no corrup-
ton or dissatisfaction. and the tactics
of the boodlers are never copied by the
local magnates.
Out of the 5000 Cinnamon in New
York only fifty have taken the trouble to
become citizens and voters. Deputy
Sheriff Tom Lee is the unopposcd leader
of this small band. .4e~is political
power In the Fourth and Sixth wards,
Iof these fifty voters will to Il man sup
mort anv candidate that he favors. The
politicians know this, hence Toms i'm
portance. Tom is a very sensible, level
headed sort of fellow and deserves the
confidence that his fellows place in him.
Tom is by no means owned by any Of the
factions.
If the Cinnamon do not become citi-
zcns they stick to Frcemasonry. There
are 1900 Chinese Masons in New York,
all members of one lodge, the only one
in the State. The Chinese Masons are
not affiliated with the English organiza-
tion, although they follow practically the
same rules and methods All of the big
guns in Mott street, from Wo kec down,
are Masons, and they stick quite as